Food Doesn't Come From the Grocery Store!

We are so lucky to live somewhere that makes it relatively easy to teach our children about where food comes from. And experiencing where food comes from encourages even picky eaters to try new foods. Even if you live in town, there are lots of opportunities to help your child make this connection- and enjoy it! Here are some of our favorite ways:

Visit a farm: There are lots of farms who welcome visitors around the county, including:

• River Bend Farm & Pleasant Hill Orchard is located out Highway 58. They offer a farm store, jam making classes and u-pick harvesting!
• Lone Pine Farms is on River Road. They offer a big farm experience including a petting zoo, playground, mining experience, market and more!
• Henzte Family Farm is near Junction City. They specialize in food preservation and have machines that can husk and cut corn, pit cherries and the like. Learn how food is processed the old fashioned way and enjoy the farm animals and atmosphere!

Visit a Farmers Market: There are farmers markets scattered across the county where you can meet the people who grow the food and buy farm fresh produce. Encourage your child to ask questions about the food such as “when do they plant the plants?” and “how long does it take them to grow?” Print out a copy of the Oregon Farmers Market Association’s Farmer’s Market Guide to see where and when you can find Farmers Markets near you. Here are a couple to start you off:

• Eugene’s not to be missed Lane County’s Farmers Market across the street from Saturday Market, is an event each Saturday including wonderful fresh produce, local crafts, food booths and music. 9:00 am – 3:00pm at 8th & Oak Streets in downtown Eugene.

Many of Lane County’s smaller communities have wonderful farmers markets such as:

• The Dexter Lake Farmers Market on the beautiful Dexter Lake on Sundays.
• The Creswell Farmers Market behind the Creswell Library on Tuesdays.
• The Florence Old Town Market along the boardwalk on Saturdays and Sundays.
• In Springfield, there is the newer, but already thriving weekly market at Sprout! on Fridays from 3:00pm – 7:00pm and the wonderful Food For Lane County Youth Farm Stand (not technically a Farmers Market, but still a great place to buy locally grown vegetables and support a good cause to boot!) at RiverBend Hospital on Thursdays from 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm.

Finally, if you want the luxury of farm fresh produce delivered once a week, look into a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). This is a farm subscription that you usually pay up front and then receive weekly baskets of fruits and vegetables. Sometimes this can encourage your family to eat more vegetables and try new things. Do ask plenty of questions, though, before signing up about what the farm includes in their CSA so you don’t get stuck with lots of vegetables that your family just won’t eat!

There are many options in Lane County for eating fresh, local foods and teaching your children about where food comes from. And the lessons can be fun, delicious and very healthy! Summer is here, don’t miss out!